Simon Pearce Retail Store

Today, I visited the Simon Pearce Boston Store, and my poor experience is gnawing at me. Firstly, it was 11am and my husband and I were the only ones in the store. When asked if we could be helped to steer toward certain products, as we are starting a collection, the woman responded «Well, like, for what?». The two women could not be bothered to come onto the floor, and stayed behind the counter at the computer. I tried to explain that we were looking for some pieces to use our gift cards on that we received for XMAS. The primary salesperson (their was another pleasant girl training), acted annoyed by my genuine questions for advice, and did not even point out items that she thinks are best sellers, or would be great for a new collector. I felt like an idiot, because I seemed ignorant, and the store did not make me feel comfortable. This experience is riding on the tails of when I walked in a few weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon to look. The woman then, working, did not even come out behind the counter to say hello. I perused and left. Honestly, I will never go back to the Boston store, which is a shame, because it’s hard to buy pieces without feeling them and seeing them in person. I would rather do business directly with the main store, then rely on a middleman like, Bloomingdales, which carries Simon Pearce. We spent $ 350, which is not an insignificant amount of money, and I resent having spent it in the store, and should have just used up the money online, without having had to deal with such off-​putting, service. Yes, I could have said something directly to the salesperson about the experience, and in hind sight, I should have. Do not expect superior hospitality at this location. (Which is so sad, given the beauty of the store.)
Update: As it turns out, the aforementioned employee by which I had this unfortunate experience is the manager.

I am a big fan of all things Simon Pearce which means I am very happy there is a retail store right here in Boston.
Nothing however beats the experience of visiting their flagship store in Quechee Vermont which is nestled right over the beautiful waterfalls. But short of trips to Vermont which we love to take, this shop is the most convenient.
On a recent gorgeous Indian summer afternoon we walked over to shop for a wedding shower gift. Once through the doors it’s like walking into an art gallery… and in reality that is what this place is.
Each piece whether it be glassware, pottery, wood or metal is an American hand-​made piece of utilitarian artwork.
As such, the prices are not inexpensive but you are getting beautiful, quality workmanship and top-​notch customer service.
There is a real person named Simon Pearce who in 1971 opened a glassblowing shop in Kilkenny Ireland. He came to America settling in Vermont but now has much expanded beyond the Quechee shop and has a number of retail stores as well as a great website.
This Newbury Street locale boasts two floors of exquisite pieces that will especially speak to those loving modern or traditional design.
With the pottery, the colors are muted and natural and the shapes feel natural and organic. A set of the dishes will be an investment but will not go out of style and will provide the basis for any kind of tablescape you might want to design.
The dishes and other pottery pieces are not fussy bone china nor are they clunky heavy pottery. They are the kind of dishes you can use every day but also dishes that can be dressed up for a dinner party.
We were successful in picking out a gorgeous glass serving platter for the bride to be. Had there been more than one of them available, I would have been sorely tempted to buy one for myself.
Always a stand-​out place for gift-​buying but don’t neglect yourself… your home will be all the more amazing for it.

I’ve loved Simon Pearce glassware and other decorative items for years. My sister attended Dartmouth eons ago, so my family frequently stayed in the Quechee/​Woodstock/​Hanover area during trips to visit my sister. (The restaurant at Simon Pearce is one of the nicest restaurants for dining in that area of NH/​Vermont.) Anyway, when my husband and I married last year, we created three registries (Restoration Hardware, Williams-​Sonoma, and Simon Pearce), but our registry at Simon Pearce was my absolute favorite.
First, the handmade items are distinctive and elegant. It’s just lovely to drink wine from a sturdy, gorgeous Hartland wine glass or serve a roast chicken on the Corinth platter. I love the look of the pieces. More than the dinnerware and serving pieces, however, my favorite gifts/​purchases from Simon Pearce are the vases and bowls. We have lamps, vases, bowls, serve ware (platters and such), tableware, stemware, you name it. I’m obviously a convert.
Second, the customer service is responsive and on-​point. Every time I have called their customer service line, an actual person has picked up and greeted me with the following line — «Thank you for calling Simon Pearce. How may I brighten your day?» Every company should learn something from this! They’ve resolved any issues I’ve had with registry and non-​registry purchases immediately and efficiently. Even at the retail store or at their main showroom in Quechee, the customer service is just as reliable. When my husband and I were inspecting pitchers, trying to determine the one we would purchase that day, a store associate pulled all the pitchers they had available in that style for our choosing. She went way beyond need to help us! We received ten of the Hartland red wine glasses from our registry as gifts, and unfortunately, all ten were not a perfect set, which is more than understandable since each piece is handmade and crafted by a different glassmaker. I brought all ten into the store on Newbury Street, and two store associates helped me exchange my set of ten for ten I thought would be a good set. The company is really eager to do well by its customers.
Third, the wedding registry has GREAT perks. A mini moon for you and your betrothed to the Woodstock Inn in Vermont. (The mini moon stay also applies to the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm.) A dinner on them at the restaurant at Simon Pearce in Quechee. 10% completion discount post-​wedding. (This is for one time use, however, unlike at Williams-​Sonoma, which is 10% completion discount for multiple use within six months post-​wedding.) Replacement of any broken items within twelve months of wedding. Free shipping for wedding guests. I love that Simon Pearce will also gift you additional items if you buy or receive sets of their beautiful pieces on your registry. For example, we received a full suite of ten stemware pieces (the wine glasses), we have been sent a Wellesley carafe. If you buy a set of ten, four-​piece dinnerware, you are gifted a matching platter. Depending on what you include in your registry, there are various perks. I also love that Simon Pearce allows registrants to pick a charity for a $ 250 donation to be made in their name once over $ 2500 worth of items have been bought/​received from a wedding registry.
I will continue to fill my home with beautiful, handcrafted pieces from Simon Pearce because I believe in the company and simply adore the elegance and simplicity of their items.

Is it possible to disagree with every review attached to a business? Because I do.
Simon Pearce is neither the flawless glass palace or the terrible overpriced crap other Unilocalers seem to think it is. At least, in my opinion.
I have never even thought to touch a plate, so my opinion is about the glass, the store, and the service.
I’ve been here a bunch of times (my hairdresser is upstairs so I sometimes browse if I’m early) and I’m always greeted when I walk in the door but nobody has every made any particular effort to see if I needed any help. The store itself is warm and inviting, like a mountain lodge. The glass pieces, for the most part, are hearty and heavy.
They are well made and handmade and that’s what you’re paying for. This visit, I was particular interested in Christmas ornaments (which are very reasonable priced!) but was disappointed they didn’t work a little color into the glass. I think $ 6 is a good price for a hand blown glass ornament but plain glass is not for me.
I’ve been to the flagship store in Quechee a few times and I quite love it (and the restaurant) but this store is just a fancy shop on a fancy street (head up there though and you can watch them work!). If you can afford to pay fine china prices for everyday glassware, you’ll like it, and if it’s a stretch you won’t.

My husband and I splurged and bought the cream colored Belmont plates. I had to really convince him because the plates are so expensive, but I loved how they looked. Unfortunately, cost & touted workmanship does not guarantee quality. Within the year of buying, 5 of the 8 small round plates and 1 large dinner plate are either cracked or chipped. (These are the plates we use the most, so it could be more if we used the other ones.) And yes, I’m careful with them. I think back to the cheap set I bought at Bed, Bath, Beyond. In the five years I had them, only one plate was broken when I accidentally dropped it. I thoroughly regret «upgrading,» and I refuse to replace the SP plates because they’re not worth the money.

At a quick glance from the giant street window there is more sparkle in this store than any local jeweler. Upon entry, I had been greeted with a welcoming smile… I though to myself I think I’m gonna like it here! So many beautiful things it makes me want to toss out the old glasswAre at home and start anew. I do have to go again when I have time to browse I low the glass trees it would make a great table center piece.

I registered here for my wedding and have been to the mothership in Quechee as well as several of the stores. I own (or owned) several thousands of dollars worth of Simon Pearce glass and pottery. This review is specifically about the Belmont pottery and the glassware.
Customer service is unfailingly polite and usually works with you to make you happy. However, they are in deep denial about how shoddy their products are. Or else they’re well-​trained to hide this dirty little secret. So despite how polite they are, at some point you just have to say — stop, the product is just not that good, please stop pretending that it is.
The Belmont pottery is sub par — we had 8 complete place settings that we ended up selling and replacing with Heath Ceramics (far superior product). We sent back many, many pieces that had cracks (check the unglazed part on the bottom part of the plates!), were irregular (so irregular they wouldn’t stack with the other pieces), the crackle glaze was so inconsistent from piece to piece that it was far beyond «individual variation.» Plus the pieces STAIN from berries, beets, curry, etc. They don’t tell you that at the store.
Most of the glassware is wonderful — except anything with a handle. It will crack, I promise. The handled pieces I bought were discontinued… I wonder why. We don’t even own a dishwasher (plus they’re supposed to be dishwasher safe) so each piece was handwashed and rarely used. They brag about how strong their glassware is. Not in my experience, sorry.
If you do buy, make sure you personally see every single piece beforehand. Compare the sizes to each other (dinner plate to dinner plate). Look at the finishes carefully. Try to buy sets all together, not one at a time. Especially the celadon (green) Belmont pottery — the shades of green vary quite a bit from lot to lot.
Also, they sometimes sell lines that are not made in Vermont — and they don’t do a great job of telling you which is which.
I definitely bought into the «handmade in America by skilled artisans» line and spent accordingly. I regret it now. Luckily the pieces we have left seem to get the job done, and it is nice to have a nice hefty glass goblet to drink from. Just don’t buy into the hype. Don’t assume it’s a quality product just because they keep saying it is. Judge for yourself and return it if you don’t agree. For these prices, the product should work and work well!

Getting married? Or are you just going to a wedding? This is such a good place for gifts and registries. And the customer service is brilliant (more below).
We just got married, and after having nightmares with our Macy’s registry, had the genius idea to register at Simon Pearce (
). Now instead of foppish china we keep in a closet and never use, we have elegant plates that can be used every day or for fancy occasions, yet go in the dishwasher and the microwave! Even the goblets are dishwasher-​safe.
It’s all beautiful hand-​blown glass and unique handmade ceramics. But you can tell that from the website.
What you need to hear from me is the customer experience. Plate got broken in UPS? No problem, a new one was sent ASAP. Then we dropped and broke 3 plates within the past month :-(. They refused to let us pay, because they have a one-​year breakage replacement for wedding registries! And when I found a bug on their website and helped them fix it, they didn’t just write us a thankyou… they bought us a wedding gift!
And it’s refreshing to have «real people» staffing the phones, who can help you in a jiffy, instead of the mindless cogs you get on the phone when you call, say, AT&T.